CANES CAPTAIN

DOWN WITH DOAN
CAROLINA

With the offseason firmly gripped on the league, the Carolina Hurricanes have been quickly preparing for what could be a banner season.

Front and center this year will be second year captain Shane Doan. The big power forward had a mediocre year last year and was often mentioned on fan sites and talk radio as a guy that needed to step it up or get out. Carolina management, however, pays the bills and decided early on that Doan was the guy that they wanted to represent their team.

“Shane has always stood up for his team mates and he always comes to play,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “I have been happy to have him here since the day he arrived. He is the perfect middle man on a team. He knows the business, he knows the game and he knows what he needs to do. Coaching a guy like him is simple. You let him play and he will never let you down.”

Doan, a former member of the Olympic gold winning squad for Team Canada, was never called on to score a lot of goals for the Canes last season, primarily since his role was more so as a checking forward. With his big frame and aggressive style, Doan has made a name for himself as one of the better body checkers in the CLUTCH and has developed a flair for the big goal.

“He saves his big games for when the team is down and out. You can count on him like clockwork to put the puck in the net when we needed it. He fires up the guys, he fires up himself and for me, that’s all I can ask.”

Look for Doan to find a home on the third line with newcomers Kris Draper and Jay Pandolfo as one of the leagues better checking lines.

“We wanted to be able to play defence better this year and it started up front. Getting Draper to kill penalties and make things happen was a key pickup. Pandolfo has also been one of the better checking wingers over the past few seasons. Adding them should help preserve leads we often lost last season. Their speed and Doan’s power forward attitude will play a major role this year up front for the Canes, count on that.”